Sole for boots and shoes.



J. E. GROSJEAN.

SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. l9l8.

1,297,834. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

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JAMES E. GRosJEeN, or LIMA, OHIO, Ass'IGNoR, BY DIRECT AND MEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH T0 LEON r. monroomnnmor roar RECOVERY, OHIO,

AND ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK MAIRE, OF LIMA, OHIO.

.SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

l ap iicatin'aled June 26,1918. Serial No. 242,074. 1 i

To all whom it may concern;

. Be it known that I, JAMES E. GROSJEAN,

composite soles for boots or shoes of. that general type, as described in m pending application, Serial No. 234,710, which is characterized by a reinforced flexible base and a tread portion of rubber and fibrous material vulcanized together and secured by vulcanization tocsaid base. a The objects of the invention are to facilitate and lessen the cost of manufacture of soles of the type referred to, to enhance their flexibility, to provide for the use of a minimum'quantity of rubber and to provide increased strength and superior wearing prop-' 'Bythe term soleHI refer tothe whole sole or to any part thereof with which a tread portion of the general character stated may be incorporated, whether such tread portion extend over the whole sole or over the heel or over the sole in the ordinary or narrow sense of the term, i. e. the half sole or the forward portion of the whole sole which provides support for 'the ball of the foot and the toes.

With the stated objects in and organization which will be set forth in detail as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a sole in WhlCh the features of the invention are incorporated, the same .beingshown in' the views.

The-salient parts of the sole area substanview the invention conslsts in certain features of structure a bottom plan view of the sole as Specification of Letters Patent. i t t d r, 13, 191

tially flatbase or backing 1 Whose material is strong yet readily flexible and a tread portion 2 which is secured to the base 1. .As

shown the tread portion-2 is located in the forward portion of the whole sole but it may be xtended throughout the'whole sole or it may be located or duplicated in the heel.

According to the invention the base '1 con-i sists of two relatively thin'sheets or layers 3 of'rubber placed face to face in originally adherent relation and independent strands 4 of fibrous material, 6. g. somewhat stout cord or twine arranged between and-pressed into the rubber layers 3. The strands 4 are disposed in spaced parallel relation at some. What close intervals, are preferably located transversely of the tread portion and are drawn or stretched between said layers constructed the flexibility of the base isenhanced while at thesame time it is strengthened by the strands 4 whereby ;it can not stretch or widen in the direction of the sole in which said'strands are disposed. In the preferred construction the upper layer of the base is somewhat thicker than the lower layer, the latter being a comparatively thin whereby they will be without slack. As thus sheet whose principal function is to hold the strands 4 in the desired spaced parallel relation to one another. 4

The base having the features of structure and relation above described, may be conveniently and economically manufactured by cutting the same from a sheet formed by a rolling operation in which the layers 3 with the strands 4 interposed between them and heldunder tension are pressed together.

'The, tread portion 2 includes regularly arranged fibrous strands which are pre sentedendwise to the tread surface. An

shownjandpreferred the, tread portion is composed of juxta osed transverse units whose cross sectiona structure is similar to the cross sectional structure of the base 1,

of the base, and independent strands of fibrous material '7, e. g. cord or twine arranged in substantially parallel relation be tween the rubber layers, the strands 7 be:

ing presented endwise to the tread surface and being somewhat heavy and coarse whereby they provide a multiplicity of stout,

very closely associated fibrous plugs, the rubber of the tread 'portionbeing merely suflicient to hold the plugs in place and to give the tread portion a finished surface and edge and suitable cushioning properties. i

'In course of manufacture the tread portion may be initlally secured to the base 1, adjacent its underface,

in any suitable manner, but preferably by I v or adhesive material. In case the tread porr of the. tread tion occupies only a part of the area of the whole sole the latteris built up to suitable thickness, preferably to the thiclmess portion the application I throughout the rest OfltS area of a mem-' and arrangement.

The sole is preferably'completed by a marginal supporting strip -9 of rubber which may, or may not, have fibrous material incorlporated therewith, the tread portion 2 eing arranged within said strip whose ins5 ner edge adjoins and conforms in outline to the edge of said tread portion. As preferred, the base 1 has a marginal projecting portion 10 of suitable width upon which the strip 9 is laid. As regards the construction shown, the combined'area of the tread portion 2 and the member 8 is less than the area of the base 1 whereby said tread portion and member may be so arranged on said base that the latter will have a projecting portion which constitutes the aforesaid marginal portion 10 and pref-- erably entirely circumscribes the tread portion 2 and member 8; and the porting strip 9 is laid on the marginal portion 10 in the same plane as the treadpon tion 2 and member 8, said strip being co-ex tensive with said marginal portion and initi'ally secured in any suitable manner, preferably by suitable cement or adhesive ma terial. The strip' 9 may be continuous or it may be formed in juxtaposed complementary sections.

' The finished sole, as shown in Fig. 3, is vulcanized throughout,- the pressure employed preferably being exceptionally heavy and the vulcanization eflecting the most secure and permanent union of the adjacent parts. Thus-the rubber or equivalent material of the tread portion is united with marginal supthe utmost security to the fibrous material sultable cement versely 2, having a homogeneous union with the rubber or equivalent material of said tread portion and base, and the member 8, if employed, is similarly united to the tread portion, the base 1 andthe supporting strip- 9. If desired, but merely as a measure adopted out of an abundance of precaution, the I base, subsequent to the vulcanization of the sole, may be connected by stitching 11 to the above described parts bonded thereto, the stitching being preferably provided in parallel rows, one'of which is located within the supporting strip 9 andthe other of which is located within the tread portion 2. In some cases it may be desired or preferred to reinforce the base longitudinally as well as transversely and where such longitudinal reinforcement may be advantageous it will alsobe desirable to provide a base of somewhat heavier construction.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 41' and 5, the base; is com-posed of two sheets .1 and 1 laid one on the other and each similar to the base 1 above described as regards the arrangement of the parallel strands or. fibrous material. layers of rubber. In fibrous strands, as 4, are disposed transof the sole as in the base 1 of the embodiment described but in the companion sheet 1 the parallel fibrous strands, as 4*,

between the independent I the sheet 1 the parallel j are disposed longitudinally of the sole and at'approximate right angles to the strands 4. Either sheet may 'be arranged uppermost but it is preferred to arrange the sheet 1 uppermost and to arrange the sheet 1 adjacent the tread portion. The sheets 1 and 1 are in originally adherent relation and when the sole is vulcanized in the manner described each sheet is vulcanized throughout and is also vulcanized to the other. The base as thus constructed will not have the enhanced flexibility of the base 1 but it will have a sensible degreeof flexibility and will also have great strength.

In both forms the principles of construction are the same and the same manufacturing advantages are realized.

Having fully described my invention, I claim 1. A composite sole for boots or shoes having a base composed of layers of rubber arranged face to face and parallel inde- 2. A composite sole .for boots or shoes having a base composed of'layers of rubber arranged face to face and parallel independent strands of fibrous material disposed transversely at somewhat close intervals and stretched tightly between the layers of rubber and a composite tread portion secured to said base and composed of transverse units, each consisting of layers of rubber and parallel independent strands of fibrous material disposed between said layers of rubber and presented endwise to the tread surface, said sole being vulcanized throughout.

3. A composite sole for boots or shoes having a base composed of companion sheets laid one on the other and each consisting of layers of rubber arranged face to face and parallel independent strands of fibrous material disposed at somewhat close intervals and stretched tightly between the layers of rubber, the strands of one sheetbeing disposed transversely of the sole and the strands of the other sheet being disposed longitudinally of the sole, and a composite tread portion secured to said base, said sole bein vulcanized throughout.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES GROSYJEAN.

Witnesses:

FLORANCE L. MOHR, H. F. BATY. 

